Check out Japan’s Latest Sea Bunny Craze: Adorable or Weird?

When someone says ‘sea slug,’ what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps a weird and unattractive sea creature? Yes, you would technically be correct in that assumption because the very core of why sea slugs have been named accordingly is because they more or less resemble terrestrial slugs. Most sea slugs are literally slug-like sea creatures. With that said, there’s no way these slug-like creatures could ever be adorable, right? Wrong! The Japanese have once again found something cute to adore about sea slugs of all things.

Meet Jorunna parva – the sea bunny that has recently taken over the twitter world in Japan.

What is a Jorunna parva?

Jorunna parva is the scientific name for what people now refer to as the ‘sea bunny’. First described by Japanese marine biologist Kikutaro Baba, Jorunna parva is a sea bunny because of its appearance. It is small, has a fluffy appearance, and also has features that resemble bunny ears and a tail.

The ‘bunny ears’ are antenna-like appendages on top of Jorunna parva’s head and are actually termed rhinophores. These rhinophores are chemosensory organs which are used to help Jorunna parva find food and mating partners by detecting chemicals in the water. Its ‘tail’ on the other hand, is actually a set of gills. Another characteristic that makes Jorunna parva resemble a cute bunny is its fur-like coat which is composed of tiny rods termed caryophyllidia.

Different sea bunny colors

Some of the more popular sea bunny pictures circulating around the internet at the moment are the fluffy white ones which resemble the bunny the most.

However, the Jorunna parva actually come in many different breeds that have variety of colors, and in fact, the white breed is rather rare in comparison to the yellow or orange breeds. There are also some with mint blue colorings too.

How big are they?

If you’re wondering where you can find these adorable creatures, they usually settle off the coast of Japan. You would have to be very observant in looking for them though because they are tiny! Jorunna parva is around 2.5 centimeters (less than an inch) in length which makes them even cuter!

The Jorunna parva’s uncanny similarity to standard bunnies appears to have launched them into social media stardom. Several netizens continue to comment on how adorably cute they are and wanting one for themselves. Well, I can personally relate! These sea bunnies are cute, fluffy, tiny, and come in a range of vibrant colors. What’s not to love?

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